Bangalore Palace

Tuesday, December 28, 2010

Bangalore Palace is very close to Bangalore Palace Grounds where musical concerts are held.

Completed in 1944, it is a replica of the Windsor Castle in. This Palace was brought by Chamaraja Wodeyar and is now owned by the current King of the Wodeyar dynasty.

The Palace looks very beautiful from the outside. For a moment I thought I was visiting one of the palaces in the United Kingdom.

Bangalore Palace

 

Outside the Palace, I found a few horses grazing. Royal Horses, I guess.

Not many people come to visit this place but I decided to.

The Palace is manned by royal soldiers, 365 days a year. Outside the Palace, there are a few cannons and a few carts, all unique, not one similar to the other. Carts were used for transportation in that era when there were no petrol-driven vehicles.

Since the current heir to the Wodeyar dynasty resides in the Palace, only a part of it is open to public viewing. Viewers are charged an entry fee of Rs 100 for visiting and Rs 500 for photography. A caretaker is on hand to show you around.

Of course, there is not much to see in the palace as most of the stuff was moved to the Mysore Palace for public display there. Thank God, I didn’t pay the camera charges or else it would have been good money gone down the drain.

Bangalore Palace

It took me 30 minutes to see the entire palace. Soon I was out, ready to shoot some excellent photos of the gardens in the Palace premises.

The Palace garden and the exteriors of the Palace are certainly worth watching. Sadly one can’t say the same about the interiors.

Tipu Sultan Palace (Bangalore)

Saturday, December 18, 2010

Tipu Sultan's Palace is located in Bangalore, very close to the City Market.

Tipu's Palace from a distance

This fort can be accessed either by a state transport bus or a rickshaw. You can ask the locals around as they are very helpful in guiding you to the Palace.

An entry fee of Rs 5 needs to be paid at the entrance in order to enter the Palace. Shutterbugs, please note, photography is allowed in this Palace.

As you enter, you will see a well maintained garden just at the entrance of the Palace.

Carved Pillars in the Palace

The Palace which is very small is painted brown. One storey tall, it has been made completely of wood and has finely embellished balconies, pillars and arches according to the Islamic style.  The walls and the ceiling have been decorated with beautiful floral designs. The construction of this palace was started by Hyder Ali and completed by his son Tipu Sultan in 1791. The palace, though small, is very impressive.

View from the top storey

Backyard of the Palace

A small museum within the palace houses some of the things that Tipu Sultan actually used in his lifetime. The guy actually used rocket swords and spears in battle, long before NASA arrived on the scene. Based on the rockets you will realize how intelligent Tipu Sultan was if he could think of rockets back then.

Rocket swords and spears

He also had a mechanical tiger as a toy which he had gifted to a British officer. The toy portrayed the tiger killing the British. The hatred he had for the British was clearly visible from this. Sorryo had to use the flash or else could not capture the mechanical tiger as the place was not properly lit up.

Mechanical Tiger

A must see for all eyes.

Bangalore Fort

Saturday, December 11, 2010

This fort is situated opposite the City Market in Bangalore.

Main Entrance to the Fort

Built by Kempe Gowda, the founder of Bangalore in the 16th century, it was initially built of mud and later converted into stone by Hyder Ali in 1761. It was beautifully carved with Islamic style arches, minarets and paintings.

Side view of the Fort

Sadly I could not see this fort from the inside as it is closed to the public.

Ulsoor Lake

Tuesday, December 7, 2010

This is the one of the biggest lakes in Bangalore and is located very close to MG Road. Built by Kempe Gowda II, it is spread over 50 acres and has 7 islands in it.

An island in Ulsoor Lake

The lake is currently under the control of the Indian Army. It is ideal for boating and is visited by people very frequently.

View of Ulsoor Lake

I visited this Lake in the afternoon, so didn't find anyone boating at that time.